Live and Work in the USAParticipate in the US Government Diversity Visa program now.

What is the US GREEN CARD LOTTERY ?

Each year, 50,000 immigrant visas (Green Cards) are awarded in a lottery held by the US Department of State. The green card lottery is an official program pursuant to Sec. 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you receive a Green Card through the program, you and your family will be able to live and work permanently in the United States.

Participation is free. USGCLS charges for the professional services we provide you. Our professional services include: application service, information check, correcting of wrong or invalid data (over 40% of applications we review have problems and would be disqualified without our help), support in different languages, correct completion of the application, and submission of the application on time and in the correct format. USGCLS is a third party service that is not affiliated with the US Government. For more information contact us or read about the USGCLS Advantage or our FAQ.

The USGCLS Advantage

Feature

State DepartmentWeb Site

USGCLSWeb Site

Same chance for all entries to be selected

Register 365 days a year

One click DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES
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Married couples can double their chances by submitting two separate applications. Through USGCLS, you can register once, and double your chances at any time with one click (instead of submitting an entirely new application for your spouse).

Free of charge

Submit regular photos by mail
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The State Department only accepts digital photos with very specific requirements. USGCLS accepts both digital and regular photos. If you do not have digital photos, you can send us regular photos by mail and we will scan them to meet the exact requirements. Incorrect photos will disqualify your application.

Samples of good and bad photos
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More than 40% of photos checked by USGCLS do NOT meet the submission requirements because of their content. The State Department website does NOT check photo content - you can submit a photo of a chair and it will still be accepted. Submitting a photo that does not meet the content requirements will disqualify your application! USGCLS provides samples of good and bad photos, and your photos are personally reviewed for content errors. You can submit your photos as many times as you wish until they pass the content review.

Personal review of your photos
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More than 40% of photos checked by USGCLS do NOT meet the submission requirements because of their content. The State Department website does NOT check photo content - you can submit a photo of a horse and it will still be accepted. Submitting a photo that does not meet the content requirements will disqualify your application! USGCLS provides samples of good and bad photos, and your photos are personally reviewed for content errors. You can submit your photos as many times as you wish until they pass the content review.

Update address and photos at any time

Online help and support

Guaranteed timely submission
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Last year, many thousands of applicants were not able to apply because the State Department web site was not available during the registration period. The USGCLS website is open 365 days a year and completed registrations are submitted to the State Department on time. A copy of the State Department confirmation of successful submission is provided to each applicant.

Saved proof of successful submission
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All completed USGCLS registrations are submitted to the State Department on time. A copy of the State Department confirmation of successful submission is provided to each applicant and is available at all times online.

Saved proof of all information submitted
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USGCLS maintains copies of the exact information submitted to the State Department on the State Department application. This is extremely important when you win and need to fill in the visa application - any change from the exact information you entered can cause significant delays and even loosing your green card.

One click registration for future years
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Through USGCLS you are able to renew your registration each year with one click. You are also able to register in advance for multiple years. Each year, USGCLS reviews the new requirements issued by the State Department, and make sure your information complies with all current requirements.

DVSecure™ Anti-Fraud Protection
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Recently there have been many cases of fraudulent emails to lottery participants. USGCLS provides security features to help you ensure that messages are received from USGCLS and not impostors.

Important Registration Update

All petitions must be submitted to the State Department in an electronic format, using a dedicated State Department website.

Use the USGCLS online registration to enter all of the required information and submit the necessary photographs (if you do not have digital photographs, you can send regular photos by mail). When your registration is complete, your application will be processed and submitted to the State Department.

Program Overview

GENERAL INFORMATION

The US Green Card Lottery Program, also known as DV Lottery program, is a chance for people from all over the world to become permanent legal residents of the United States of America, meaning that they can live. work and study in the United States as any other US resident. The program grants 50,000 'Green Cards' EACH YEAR to potential immigrants who apply. Winners are chosen by a computer-generated random lottery.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

This program is an official State Department program, which grants 'Green Cards' to people who meet the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. Applicants for Diversity Visas are chosen by a computer-generated random lottery drawing. The U.S. government makes available 50,000 permanent residence visas each year for the program. In order to be eligible for the program, individuals worldwide must fulfill the two basic entry requirements. In order for the draw to be as fair as possible, the visas are distributed among six geographic regions with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration. Furthermore, no visas are granted to natives of countries from which more than 50,000 natives immigrated to the U.S during the past five years. Within each region, natives of no one country can receive above seven percent of the total available Diversity Visas in any one year.

AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM BY US CONGRESS

Established by the 1996 Immigration Act in order to provide an immigration opportunity to natives from countries other than the main source of immigration to the U.S.A, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery is an official U.S. government program. The program aims to diversify the American population by creating an immigration opportunity to under-represented ethnic groups.

WHAT IS A GREEN CARD AND WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT?

A Green Card is a permanent residence visa that allows a person to legally LIVE, WORK AND STUDY permanently in the United States. It also allows that person to enter and leave the country freely, as any other United States citizen. In fact, Green Card holders can even work in any government, public and private job that is available. In most cases, a permanent residence visa is good for life. Green Card holders are also eligible to receive health, education, retirement, taxation, social security and other social benefits. It is important to note that the Green Card DOES NOT affect your current citizenship and it is possible to hold a Green Card along with other citizenship documents of your home country. After receiving a Green Card, its holder can apply for United States Citizenship.

November 6, 2014
More than 11 million people registered for the 2014 Diversity Visa Lottery (called DV-2016). To register for the 2015 green card lottery click here.

September 20, 2014
The instructions for the 2014 Diversity Visa Lottery (called DV-2016) have been finalized and published. There is no change in the list of eligible countries or requirements. To register for the 2014 lottery click here.

May 3, 2014
On May 1, 2014, the Entrance Status Check (ESC) website experienced a brief technical problem. As a result, some people who logged into the site to check the status of their Diversity Visa 2015 (DV-2015) entries were shown the wrong information. Read more

May 1, 2014
Results of the 2013 lottery are now available online. Winning notifications are NOT sent by email or mail.

If you did not win, You you can register now for the 2014 lottery. Register Now

April 17, 2014
Results for the 2013 lottery (called DV-2015) will be available in May. Applicants are reminded that winning notices are NOT sent by email or mail. The only way to check if you are a winner is through the Diversity Visa website using your confirmation number.

If you did not win, you can register now for the 2014 lottery. Register Now

November 3, 2013
Registration for the 2013 lottery has ended. Results will be available after May 1. You are now able to register for the next lotteyr. Register Now

September 24, 2013
Natives of Nigeria will not be able to participate in the 2013 lottery. To check if you qualify for the 2013 lottery, click here

May 1, 2013
Results of the 2012 lottery are now available online. Winning notifications are NOT sent by email or mail.

If you did not win, You you can register now for the 2013 lottery. Register Now

November 3, 2012
Registration for the 2012 lottery has ended. Results will be available beginning May 1.

September 15, 2012
Applications will be processed and entered into the lottery starting October 2. To check your status or view a copy of your official confirmation of submission, please log in to your account. If you have any missing information, please complete it no later than October 15.

July 7, 2012
Natives of Guatemala will be eligible to participate in the 2012 lottery (called DV-2014). You you can register now for the 2012 lottery. Register Now

May 1, 2012
Results for the 2011 lottery (called DV-2013) are now available. To check your status, Log in to your account.

If you did not win, you can register now for the 2012 lottery. Register Now

November 5, 2011
Registration for the 2011 lottery has ended. Applicants may now register for the 2012 lottery.

October 4, 2011
Applications are now being processed and entered into the lottery. To check your status or view a copy of your official confirmation of submission, please log in to your account. If you have any missing information, please complete it no later than November 3.

July 14, 2011
The new results for the 2010 lottery (called DV-2012) are now available. Log in to your account to check if you are a winner.

October 9, 2003
FTC shuts down operators of web sites who allegedly falsely claimed to help people enter State Department’s Green Card Lottery. Details

August 18, 2003
The submission rules for the Green Card Lottery have changed. Applicants will not be allowed to send their applications by mail. Instead, all petitions must be submitted in an electronic format, using a dedicated State Department website. Details

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